Each year there is something new and exciting to experience at the Isle of Wight Festival, and 2017 is no different.
As the weekend-long event gets underway for the 16th year running we take a look at what you can expect to find on site, plus your favourite elements that are making a return.
New for 2017:
• Strongbow Yard – Strongbow return to The Isle of Wight Festival for a fifth year, this time bigger and better than ever! Get ready to own the day, night and everything in between at the Strongbow Yard. Whether you’re up for chilling by the bar or turning it on at the DJ booth, Strongbow Yard have created a place that’s head and shoulders above the rest. Literally. Join them in the day for an ice-cold pint, accompanied by the chilled-out beats. Then get ready to take things up a notch as the evening DJs take you through until 1am.
• IW Pride will have a stand at the festival for the first time with interactive arts projects, Pride memorabilia to get your hands on and the opportunity to dress up. Representatives will be spreading the message that LOVEWINS and embracing the island’s diverse community.
• Old Mout Kiwi Camp – Explore your naturally adventurous nature at the Isle of Wight’s Old Mout Kiwi Camp! The Kiwi Camp is always looking for little ways to have fun and give a twist to the familiar. Whether you fancy taking a little time out and perching yourself on one of their up-cycled sofa swings, or if you’re up for dipping your beaks into their packed programme of entertainment with a quirky twist, Old Mout Kiwi Camp have it all. Their Tent of Little Adventures will be hosting Disco Yoga, Gospeloke, Rockaoke and much more. Old Mout Kiwi Camp will make sure that the Cider bar is fully stocked and one of their fruity ciders is never far away. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even skip the queue to the bar by taking a ride on their Sip & Slide.
Returning favourites:
•Stand Up To Cancer – Hair feeling flat? Stand Up To Cancer know camping can take its toll on your locks so come find their Edward James pop-up salon and be transformed. For a donation, professional stylists will be on hand to give you rebel hair with braiding, glitter roots and hair chalk. All the money raised over the weekend will go directly towards funding their game-changing cancer research that will help save lives. STAND UP. JOIN FORCES. TAKE CANCER OUT.
• Hard Rock Stage – Hard Rock Stage is excited to be partnering with The Isle of Wight Festival for a third year, as it prepares to showcase music’s most exciting rising stars. The Hard Rock Stage, curated by Hard Rock and The Isle of Wight Festival, promises an epic line up of new and undiscovered acts all raring to play to thousands of festival goers over one truly unmissable weekend this summer. After two huge years of bringing brand new talent to The Isle of Wight Festival, Hard Rock is ready and raring for its return to Seaclose Park, giving festival goers the perfect opportunity to sample all-new music and discover their new favourite band.
• Cirque De La Quirk – The whirlwind of Cirque de la Quirk will be back this year with a vengeance! Picking up where they left last year, the Cirque will be amping up the immersive festival experience. Their world will plunge you into a community embracing style, individuality and rebellion. The life loving population will try to make you sway from one to the other and when chosen you can pit your wits against others in a feast of games, puzzles and activities throughout the weekend. Fun for all ages, the music and performers will allow you the chance to try your hand at being a circus master or sock wrestling champion – put to the soundtrack of, squelchy beats with a bit of kick every evening! This year’s headliners include performances from Stanton Warriors, Krafty Kuts, Dub Pistols and Sam and The Womp.
• Jack Rocks With This Feeling – Having supported live music at independent venues across the UK on a weekly basis, this festival season the Jack Rocks programme continues to shine a light on the headliners of tomorrow. Head to the Jack Rocks Isle Of Wight stage in partnership with Britain’s biggest rock ‘n’ roll night, This Feeling to see the best new music. There will be live music till late, then DJs will take to the decks to keep the party going until the early hours.
• Electro Love – After the success of last year Electro Love will return to The Isle of Wight Festival, bigger and better than ever! Team Electro Love will be delivering you the art of partying at the Isle Of Wight Festival. Let Electro Love take you on a trip down memory lane where you can party the weekend away in the their 80’s tent. The ‘Wake Up Shake Up’ team will dust off your cob webs and put you straight into the party mode with a full mix of 80’s music to dance to, DJ battles, power ballads, rock and pop Tribute Acts. We have amazing band’s to suit everyone’s taste from pop to rock. The Electro Love Bar has Giant Rubik cubes, BMX bikes, UV lights and Bubble Parties. Don’t forget to visit Electro Loves Tuck Shop to get your retro sweets, UV & neon merchandise for what is going to be the biggest UV party in the field.
• Kashmir Café – Now in its tenth year, Kashmir Café is a firm favourite at The Isle of Wight Festival. Kashmir Café is run by Island volunteers and all profits go to Quay Arts, the Island’s charitable Arts Centre. They pride themselves on featuring performances from the very best musicians from the island, as well as the highest quality acts from across the UK and beyond, including Teenage Dirtbags Wheetus. Situated in the heart of the festival site, Kashmir Café is the perfect drop-in place to discover some of the best music you can find, while you refresh yourself with some of the best food and drinks, and relax in their beautiful beer garden.
• Platform One Stage – The Platform One Stage, is programmed and run by Platform One College of Music, the Isle of Wight’s very own independent, not for profit Music College. This unique stage highlights the wealth of talent that exists on such a small, yet musically vibrant Island. The stage will feature forty-eight acts over the duration of the festival. With music from acoustic tunes through to full on metal bands and everything in between, there will certainly be something for everyone.
• BA Access All Areas – Head to the BA check-in desk on Friday or Saturday and take a trip behind the scenes to discover the world of BA Access All Areas! Resident DJs including the Dixon Brothers will be playing until the early hours and flights from Gatwick to to New York, Peru, Cape Town and Costa Rica up for grabs!
• Octopus Garden – Drift into Octopus’s Garden in the main arena and treat all of your senses. Sit back, relax and enjoy the chilled live music from a host of hand-picked gifted singer songwriters in this space themed fantasy whilst indulging in some of the best fine foods to be found on any festival site. Freshly prepared sushi wraps, vegan dishes, Mediterranean inspired food, the freshest local crab and delicious pastas prepared and cooked to order and summer fresh salad and strawberries. Wash all this down with a perfectly chilled glass of champagne or wine, Sagres premium lager or the irresistible Italian Birra Moretti; just perfect with food.
• KidZone – 2017 is going to be jam-packed with fun and entertainment for all ages, in the KidZone Craft Tent, you can get busy and make anything from recycled headdresses, ribbon twirlers, badges and windmills. The New Carnival Company and Forest Schools will be running all running day long workshops so that children get a chance to make things from a wide variety of different materials, and take their creations home.
For more active entertainment, Ryde Extreme Performers will be running Circus workshops in juggling, poi, diablo, plate-spinning, devil sticks and even stilt-walking! Kids can get into the festival spirit with an outfit from the fabulous Kids Dressing Up Tent, or head off to the Face-Painting and Tattoo Tent for some festival style decoration, and then leap in front of the photo wall, grab a prop and strike a pose!
For the little ones there’s a dedicated Toddler Tent where Creation Station will be running fabulous art and craft sessions, and Rhythm Time will be making music and singing songs.
• Bathing Under The Sky – Relax and re-energise in Bathing under the Sky’s unique wood-fired outdoor spa, returning for another amazing year at The Isle of Wight Festival. Enjoy the gentle breeze on your face, the restoring warmth of the waters and the gentle crackle of the fire while you chat, sip bubbly and chill. For an elevated experience, book yourself on board the UK’s only Double Decker Hot Tub Bus offering great views across the festival site.
• Black Tower Bar – Black Tower is the perfect wine to choose when you are sitting in the sun or enjoying music even after the sun has gone down, at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival. Black Tower Bar in the Arena invite you to come chill in their garden while enjoying a refreshing glass of Black Tower and listen to Black Tower’s famous DJ, Martin Pegler and Nicole and Lucy performing jazz and chart classics.
